Pastor Senyonga protests DPP’s decision to drop sodomy charges against Pastor Kayanja
Senyonga told journalists that in 2021 and 2022, a number of young men approached him at his church, Christian Life Ministries claiming that they had been sodomized by Kayanja.
The decision by the Directorate of Public prosecution (DPP) to drop sodomy charges against Pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre is an obstruction of justice, Pastor Jackson Senyonga told a press conference in Kampala on Friday.
Senyonga told journalists that in 2021 and 2022, a number of young men approached him at his church, Christian Life Ministries, claiming that they had been sodomized by Kayanja.
“The young men gave graphic details of what they say transpired, of how they were recruited, lured with money and promises of a better life and subsequently sodomized,” Senyonga said.
“They showed me WhatsApp communication between one of them with Pastor Robert Kayanja whose mobile number I knew. In the said WhatsApp messages, the young men alleged that Pastor Robert Kayanja had sodomized them, that they were injured as a result and required treatment,” he added.
Senyonga referring to the WhatsApp communication said Kayanja never denied or contested those allegations and instead sent money to the young men as they demanded. They also played a phone voice recording of a voice they claimed to be of Kayanja, Senyonga revealed.
Senyonga said the claims were disturbing and raised serious concerns. “Moreover this is against the backdrop of the fact that for over 20 years now, there have been persistent similar allegations from different persons against Pastor Kayanja,” he said.
Not believing what the young men were claiming, Senyonga says he engaged ‘a few civic and spiritual leaders’ with close contact with Kayanja and requested for a meeting. Kayanja turned down the request for a meeting.
“I was, however, shocked to learn that instead of meeting me as a brother who had in good faith contacted him privately, he had initiated a criminal complaint against me alleging that I had conspired with some young men to tarnish his image and or defame him,” Senyonga reveals.
Senyonga told journalists the complaint by Kayanja was investigated by the DPP. The results of the investigation indicated that the complaint from Kayanja had no merit and the file was closed.
It was established that the interaction between Senyonga and the young men was good faith .
After failing to get help from Senyonga’s intervention, the young men went to Kayanja’s church seeking help but were instead arrested for criminal trespass.
The young men as a counter act lodged a complaint against Kayanja insisting they were sodomized.
“Unfortunately, the DPP has opted to prosecute the young men for allegedly tarnishing Pastor Kayanja’s name and for criminal trespass but has decided to close the complaint by the boys against Pastor Kayanja who they accuse of sodomizing them,” Senyonga said.
“While there are likely to be some boys who may want to take advantage of the situation to make money, it is also important for DPP to know that there are also boys who are insisting that they were actually sodomized and deserve to be heard,” Senyonga pleaded.
“In my humble view it is important that justice is not only done by seen to be done and this can only be achieved if the complaints by both sides and not merely one side is given serious consideration,” he said, requesting.
Senyonga denies that he paid the young men to tarnish Kayanja’s name.
